The Governor of the National Bank of Ukraine, Andriy Pyshnyy, announced plans to replace 10 and 50 kopeck coins with new coins called 'shags'. He emphasized that the term 'kopeck' is only used in certain cities, particularly in Moscow, Minsk, and occupied territories.

This information was reported by a correspondent of the Ukrainian Information Service, citing an interview with Andriy Pyshnyy for Ukrainian Radio.

Pyshnyy noted that the transition to the new 'shags' should have occurred back in 1992 when a trial batch of such coins was released, but the lack of political will prevented their implementation.

Currently, the National Bank is awaiting approval from the Verkhovna Rada. Following this, it plans to cease minting kopecks and start producing 'shag' coins. According to the NBU head, this process will not require additional expenses from the state budget.

Pyshnyy also stressed that the transition to 'shags' would not affect the purchasing power of the hryvnia. Currently, about 14 billion coins of 10 and 50 kopecks are in circulation, and the NBU is forced to mint at least 20 million of these coins annually.

In Pyshnyy's opinion, this step will solidify Ukraine's monetary sovereignty and eliminate the term 'kopeck' with its Moscow origin. Many former Soviet republics have already rejected this term, and it is time for Ukraine to reclaim the historical name for its change coins.